Means for protecting the sides of craft



Aug 23, 1938- Y c. A. BAUMANN, JR 2,127,671

MEANS FOR PROTECTING THE SIDES OF CRAFT Filed Nov. 13, 1936 Patented Aug. 23, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR PROTECTING THE SIDES OF CRAFT 3 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to a method of attaching protective material to the sides of a plurality of craft so that only the protective material contacts when any of the craft are adjacent each other.

The sides. of craft are ordinarily protected by securing strips of protective material horizontally thereto. Then when two craft are placed side by side, the strips of protective material often do not meet for various reasons, such as, for example, one craft having a different draft than the other, or one craft being at a slight angle to the other. The protective strips would then rub on the sides of the craft and wear them away in places, thereby functioning in exactly anopposite manner from that desired. Furthermore, another disadvantage of the old method of securing protective material to craft is that the sides of the strips have been known to engage and hold the craft together.

One object of this invention is to overcome the above and other disadvantages of known methods of protecting the sides of craft, and to provide protective means that will prevent the sides of adjacent craft from coming into contact with the protecting material on the other craft.

The above and further object will become apparent by referring to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a barge that is provided with one embodiment of my method of protecting the sides of craft, the protective material on the rear side of the barge being indicated by dotted lines; and

Figure 2 is an end elevation of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 2 indicates generally a barge. My novel method of protecting the sides of craft is adapted to be used with all types and the barge 2 is shown merely as a specific example of a craft whose sides can be protected thereby. The barge 2 has substantially vertical parallel sides 4 and B and ends 8 and I0. For convenience, the sides 4 and 6 may be called the starboard and port sides,

respectively, and the ends 8 and III the bow and stern, respectively. The starboard side 4 and the port side 6 are protected by diagonally arranged rubbers, bumpers or strips I2 and I4 which are secured or attached thereto. The strips I2 and I4 are made from any suitable protective material, such as steel, rubber or rope depending upon the characteristics desired of them. The strips I2 preferably are parallel and slant upwardly toward the how 8 and the strips I4 may be parallel and slant upwardly toward the stern Ill. However, the strips I2 must slant in a different direction from the strips I4 and preferably the strips I2 and I4 make the same angle with the horizontal, as shown in the drawing.

To correctly space the strips I2 and I4, they 5 should be so arranged that if the strips on one side of the craft were projected to the other side of the craft, the projection would intersect the strips on such side.

As the strips I2 and I4 are placed on the barge 10 2 to protect the sides thereof when placed against another barge or craft, the strips I2 and I4 must project from the outside surfaces of the sides and be so positioned that they will always contact with the strips placed on other craft. To achieve 15 this result, the strips placed on the craft must be uniformly positioned. As all craft have corresponding sides, such as starboard and port, or right and left, the strips on the starboard or right side can uniformly be made to slope in one direc- 20 tion and the strips on the port or left side can uniformly be made to slope in the opposite direction. After placing the strips on the craft in this manner, the strips on adjacent sides of adjacent craft will always contact as they are slanted in 25 different directions. The strips are so spaced and of such length that it is not possible for a strip to bear upon the side of an adjacent craft as the strip is of such length that it must contact at least one strip carried by the other craft. 30

Although I have shown the strips I2 and I4 on only the sides 4 and 6 of the barge 2, protective strips could be placed on the ends 8 and ID, if desired, in accordance with the teachings of my invention. 35

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as de- 40 fined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A craft having a series of elongated strips of protecting material projecting from its sides and arranged at an angle to the horizontal, the strips 4 on one side being of such length and at such an angle as to intersect the projections of the strips from the other side so that'when two or more of such craft having similarly positioned strips thereon are positioned alongside each other the 50 strips of protecting material will necessarily contact with each other.

2. A barge or similar craft having vertical sides,

a plurality of outwardly projecting protective strips arranged diagonally and in substantially 66 parallel relation on the outside surface of one of members arranged diagonally and in parallel resaid sides and a plurality of like outwardly prolation on the outside surface of one of said sides jecting protective strips arranged diagonally opand a similar number of outwardly projecting posite and in substantially parallel relation on protective members arranged diagonally opposite 5 the outside surface of the opposite side. and in parallel relation on the outside surface of 5 3. A barge or similar craft having vertical sides, the opposite side. a number of outwardly projecting protective CARL ALEXANDER. BAUMANN, JR. 

